LAHORE – The refusal of West Indies ‘A’ team players to tour Pakistan due to security concerns compelled the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to cancel Pakistan 'A' team's series against the West Indies.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has informed the PCB that Caribbean side had refused to tour Pakistan due to security concerns and offered to play in the UAE. The West Indies A team was due to play in Pakistan as part of a reciprocal tour. But the West Indies A team players refused to tour Pakistan and WICB informed the PCB that they would not send their team to play in Pakistan and instead offered to play the series at any neutral venue or in the UAE, the source added. "But the PCB after giving careful consideration decided that either the West Indies A team play in Pakistan or the series should not be held at all. The thinking in the board is that if other Test playing nations even refuse to send their second string and under-19 teams to Pakistan and want to play at neutral venues it would not only mean increased expenses but also send out a very negative message to the outside world," he explained.
The source said the PCB had informed the West Indies Cricket Board that Pakistan had hosted the Afghanistan team for an A series without any problems.
Pakistan’s status as a venue for international cricketing events was called into question in March 2009, when the visiting Sri Lankan team found them the target of a militant terrorist attack as they made their way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Six members of the Sri Lankan team were wounded, while six Pakistani policemen and two civilians killed. Since the incident, foreign teams have refused to tour the troubled country, and despite repeated attempts on the part of the PCB to bring international cricket back to Pakistan, little progress has been made in the difficult situation.
The closest the board came to hosting an international event was a series against Bangladesh, which was called off after a Dhaka High Court did not allow the board to send the national team to Pakistan.
The Pakistan team has been forced to hold their home series in neutral venues, with the United Arab Emirates being the most preferred option, but the repeated expenses, coupled with little opportunities for generating revenue, have dented the board’s budget considerably, and made the PCB even more eager to revive international cricket in the country.
The decision to not play the A series against West Indies in the UAE comes at a time when the PCB is trying to arrange a tri-nation series in Pakistan.
"The board has also given clearance to the Sindh sports minister and a sports management company to invite a World XI to Karachi to play two T20 matches this month at the national stadium," the source said.